Politics and Government

News about Politics and Government, including commentary and archival articles published in The New York Times.

Chronology of Coverage

Jul. 30, 2015

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Gov Andrew M Cuomo speak on telephone after nearly month of avoiding interactions with each other; Cuomo does not divulge content of conversation, but de Blasio hints that longstanding feud may not be over. MORE

Jul. 29, 2015

Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman Thomas F Prendergast welcomes support of New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo for his $29.8 billion capital plan but is not happy to be in middle of ongoing battle between Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio; Cuomo has pledged $8 billion in state funds to help cover agency's budget shortfall but has asked city to contribute much more than originally planned. MORE

Jul. 22, 2015

Federal prosecutors file expanded indictment of New York State Sen Dean G Skelos and his son Adam Skelos; two additional bribery charges relate to malpractice insurance company that had lobbied for favorable state legislation and given job to Adam Skelos. MORE

Jul. 22, 2015

New York State Assembly Speaker Carl E Heastie visits Syracuse and other upstate towns, meeting with civic groups and leaders in effort to humanize state politics. MORE

Jul. 22, 2015

Closing arguments are heard in trial of New York State Sen Thomas W Libous, who is accused of lying to FBI agents about arranging job for his son at law firm. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo has received around $5 million in campaign contributions so far in 2015, despite his consistently dropping approval ratings. MORE

Jul. 16, 2015

Closing arguments are heard in corruption trial of New York State Sen John L Sampson. MORE

Jul. 8, 2015

New York State Rep Lee M Zeldin, Iraq war veteran and only Jewish Republican in state congress, has quickly become nationally visible firebrand for his party and outspoken critic of Pres Obama's foreign policy. MORE

Jul. 2, 2015

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's public criticism of New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo points to broader problem governor faces from Democrats in state who have grown increasingly frustrated with his policies and governing style; many downstate and liberal Democrats aligned with de Blasio are increasingly venting their frustration publicly, and some Democrats are suggesting he should be challenged in 2018 primary. MORE

Jul. 2, 2015

United States District Court Judge Kenneth M Karas sentences former New York State Senate majority leader Malcolm A Smith, Democrat from Queens, to seven years in prison for bribing Republican leaders to let him run for mayor on their party's line; former Queens County Republican vice chairman Vincent Tabone is sentenced to three and half years for acceptance of $25,000 bribe in case. MORE

Jul. 2, 2015

Editorial concurs with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's criticism of New York Gov Andrew Cuomo, saying Cuomo has indeed sought to thwart de Blasio and has hurt city's 8.5 million residents in process; reviews several de Blasio policy initiatives, including some in housing and education, that have foundered due to Cuomo's machinations; welcomes fact that de Blasio has stood up to a bully. MORE

Jul. 1, 2015

Prosecutors in trial of New York State Sen John L Sampson present wiretapped conversation in which Sampson urges friend Edul Ahmad, who was cooperating with government, to hide check register documenting improper payments; Sampson has been charged in Federal District Court in Brooklyn with witness tampering and other offenses after judge dropped two previous charges of embezzlement of state funds. MORE

Jun. 24, 2015

New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo and state legislators agree to several stop-gap measures on unresolved issues; reach tentative deal extending rent regulations in New York City, as well as 421-a tax incentive program for affordable housing and mayoral control of New York City schools; Cuomo says he may act unilaterally on some controversial matters. MORE

Jun. 17, 2015

Borough presidents of Manhattan, Bronx and Brooklyn appoint several teenagers as unpaid members of community boards under new rule that allows 16- and 17-year-olds to join advisory groups; New York City is among growing number of municipalities across country to take steps toward involving teenagers in local politics. MORE

Jun. 10, 2015

New York State Legislature seems unlikely to address funding for Metropolitan Transportation Authority's five-year capital plan before end of session; some legislators and transit groups blame Gov Andrew M Cuomo for delay. MORE

May. 27, 2015

New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo faces challenge in getting ambitious agenda items through legislature as he negotiates with two newcomers, Assembly Speaker Carl E Heastie and majority leader John J Flanagan, with less than one month remaining in session. MORE

May. 24, 2015

Daniel M Donvan Jr, Staten Island prosecutor elected to Congressional seat covering parts of Staten Island and Brooklyn, faces challenge as only Republican in New York City's House delegation; New York lawmakers' criticism of Donovan for acquitting Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo in death of Eric Garner adds challenge to his position. MORE

May. 24, 2015

Ginia Bellafante Big City column holds that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's bland style and lack of charisma, rather than his actual actions or accomplishments in first year in office, are to blame for his falling approval ratings. MORE

May. 23, 2015

New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo's administration ends practice of automatically deleting state employees' emails after 90 days, policy that drew widespread criticism; it is rare instance of Cuomo's administration bowing to public criticism. MORE

May. 19, 2015

Abtech Holdings Inc's stock falls sharply after reports that it was entangled in scandal involving former New York State Sen Dean G Skelos and his son Adam. MORE

May. 5, 2015

Republicans in New York are left scrambling for possible successors after State Senate Majority Leader Dean G Skelos is arrested on federal corruption charges along with his son Adam. MORE

May. 5, 2015

New York State Senate Majority Leader Dean G Skelos and his son Adam Skelos are arrested on federal charges of extortion, fraud and bribe solicitation, casting renewed spotlight on Albany's intractable corruption problem. MORE

Apr. 29, 2015

New York State Assemblyman Sheldon Silver pleads not guilty to added charge that he hid illegal gains through investments and his lawyers indicate that they will file additional motion to dismiss; trial date is set, though United States attorney's office does not rule out possibility that continuing investigation will lead to filing of more charges. MORE

Apr. 29, 2015

New York State Assemblyman William Scarborough of Queens will resign his seat after admitting to falsifying travel records in order to pad his salary with per diem payments; is scheduled to change plea to guilty on two felony charges; ethics measures in latest state budget include new controls on travel expenses. MORE

Apr. 17, 2015

James B Stewart Common Sense column examines escalating war of words between prominent United States Attorney Preet Bharara and federal judiciary; cites seething ruling handed down by Federal Judge Valerie Caproni in Bharara's corruption case against New York State Assemblyman Sheldon Silver, which used exceptionally pointed language to criticize Bharara's conduct; notes some observers feel that tension may be coloring cases. MORE

Mar. 17, 2015

New York State Atty Gen Eric T Schneiderman announces his ethics reform plan, which includes provision to increase salaries for state legislators, ban outside jobs and end per diem payments. MORE

Feb. 25, 2015

Lawyers for New York State Assemblyman Sheldon Silver move to dismiss his indictment on charges of fraud and extortion saying grand jurors were influenced by public statements of New York's United States Atty Preet Bharara, which were inflammatory and improper. MORE

Feb. 12, 2015

New York Gov Andrew Cuomo's abrupt dismissal of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio's plan to reconstruct Sunnyside Yards rail depot in Queens for affordable housing represents latest rift between state's two leading Democrats; despite portraying themselves as allies and friends, insiders say their relationship has grown increasingly icy. MORE

Feb. 4, 2015

Newly elected New York State Assembly Speaker Carl E Heastie has proven to be adept and canny politician, rising quickly through ranks of government to become Bronx Democratic Party leader; calls for change in state government's system of secretive and autocratic decision-making. MORE

Feb. 3, 2015

New York State Assemblyman Carl E Heastie of Bronx is poised to succeed embattled Sheldon Silver, who agreed to step down as Assembly speaker in wake of federal charges of accepting millions of dollars in payoffs; would be chamber's first African-American speaker. MORE

Feb. 3, 2015

New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo calls on Legislature to pass clean-government program following Speaker Sheldon Silver's arrest on corruption charges; vows not to sign budget that lacks full slate of ethics reforms and urges lawmakers to fully disclose their outside income and public financing of campaigns in effort to rebuild trust with New Yorkers. MORE

Jan. 29, 2015

Sheldon Silver's descent from power after 21 years as New York State Assembly speaker, precipitated by his arrest on corruption charges, took only six days, during which Democratic colleagues met in secret, shifted allegiances and sparked hope for a new guard; interviews with legislators offer detailed look into timeline of events; list of top Democratic contenders for Silver's vacated speaker are noted. MORE

Jan. 29, 2015

Sheldon Silver takes leave of absence from personal injury law firm Weitz & Luxenberg, through which he is accused of taking millions of dollars in bribes; action follows Silver's exit as speaker of the New York State Assembly and his arrest on federal corruption charges. MORE

Jan. 27, 2015

New York State Assembly Democrats call on Sheldon Silver to step down as speaker in wake of his arrest on federal corruption charges. MORE

Jan. 23, 2015

Files on New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver paint lurid picture of power abuses, with Silver leveraging his public office and political influence to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars. MORE

Jan. 22, 2015

New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver faces arrest in corruption case involving payments he received from law firm Goldberg & Iryami that he did not list on annual financial disclosure form; specific charges to be brought are unconfirmed; arrest would disrupt current legislative session. MORE

Jan. 20, 2015

New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo announces plans to establish panel to review pay of state's politicians, examining whether pay raises for legislators are merited; commission may also make recommendations for restrictions on outside income; Legislature has pushed for pay raise since 1999, but Cuomo has refused to sign off in face of lawmakers' refusal to agree to ethics reforms. MORE

Jan. 11, 2015

Ginia Bellafante Big City column says New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has taken significant steps to close economic gap between rich and poor in his first year in office; notes that city negotiated nearly $140 million deal with state to help subsidize rents for homeless families and has financed construction of nearly 3,900 units of affordable housing and preservation of more than 7,500 others. MORE

Jan. 5, 2015

Mario M Cuomo's death has prompted wave of accolades for the liberal lion and his leadership as governor of New York State, but his earlier tentative and unsuccessful bid for New York City mayor in 1977 has stirred some regret over political career with unfulfilled promise. MORE

Dec. 20, 2014

Melvin E Lowe, former consultant to New York Democratic Senate Campaign Committee, is sentenced to three years in prison for conspiring with Sen John L Sampson to steal $100,000 from organization in invoicing scheme. MORE

Dec. 13, 2014

New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's spokesman confirms that Silver is earning money from legal fees as well as wages from personal-injury law firm Weitz & Luxenberg; attention to Silver’s outside income comes as Gov Andrew M Cuomo looks to enact far more stringent requirements on extralegislative sources of income, due to potential conflicts of interest. MORE

Dec. 12, 2014

New York Gov Andrew M Cuomo admits request by state lawmakers for a raise in base salary is not unreasonable but says legislators do not appear interested in what he wants in return--cap on their earnings on outside jobs and public financing system. MORE

Dec. 9, 2014

Ambitious package of ethics reforms could pave way for first raise for members of New York State Legislature since 1999; Gov Andrew M Cuomo must agree to raise, and he says it will not happen major new measures in place to protect against corruption. MORE

Dec. 4, 2014

Herman Badillo, America’s first Puerto Rican-born congressman and fixture in New York City politics for four decades who championed civil rights, jobs, housing and education reforms, dies at age 85. MORE

Nov. 20, 2014

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tours Washington, DC, for second time in just over one month, meeting with Loretta E Lynch, Valerie Jarrett and other prominent figures; trip highlights how de Blasio remains undeterred in promoting himself as a national leader of the American left, even as headaches mount at home. MORE

Nov. 20, 2014

Artyom Matusov, former policy analyst for New York City Council, files federal lawsuit claiming that he was fired for voicing criticism over testimony given by Police Commissioner William J Bratton; Matusov was fired after contacting reporters to question statistics on the use of force by police officers. MORE

Nov. 7, 2014

Nov. 5, 2014

Jim Dwyer About New York column on political jargon used by New York City and State politicians. MORE

Nov. 3, 2014

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Police Commissioner William J Bratton appear together at news conference to defuse reports that mayor’s wife Chirlane McCray is upset with Bratton; display of unity is aimed at dispelling any public hint of conflict that could undermine mayor’s efforts to preserve public safety while making good on repeated promises to reform Police Dept's fraught relationship with minority communities. MORE

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President Obama will unveil on Monday a set of environmental regulations devised to sharply cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s power plants and ultimately transform America’s electricity industry.

Presidential candidates have grown deeply dependent on the contributions of a tiny slice of the richest Americans as “super PACs” have raised money much more quickly than hopefuls could have on their own.